Monk

When Hizos, god of war, vanished mysteriously during the Culling, martial artists were one of the professions most affected. To many it appeared they simply lost the will to do battle when they withdrew to their northern monastery and closed themselves off from the rest of the world. With the chaos of that time in full swing, no one had a moment to spare thinking about them however. After the dust had settled they reemerged. Their long isolation, combined with the loss of the Eternal Victor, had changed them drastically. No longer quite the battle-focused combatants they used to be, they called themselves monks and soon joined Kazuyuki, offering to teach others the many ways to reach what they had begun calling enlightenment.

Contents

A monk approaches an adventure as if it were a personal test. While not prone to showing off, monks are willing to try their skills against whatever obstacles confront them in the name of achieving enlightenment. They are not greedy for material wealth, but they eagerly seek that which can help them perfect themselves.

They key feature of the monk is his ability to fight unarmed and unarmored. Thanks to his rigorous training, he can strike as hard as if he were armed and strike faster than a warrior with a sword.

Though a monk casts no spells, he has a magic of his own. Each Way of Ascendency is different, but all channel internal energy in some fashion or another to achieve fantastic results. Every path a monk might take calls this energy something different: the power of the wild, a mystical energy called ki, the subtle energy of shadows. This energy, no matter the name assigned to it, is used for everything from stunning foes with an unarmed strike to dodging an attack even if the monk is not consciously aware of it.

A monk’s training requires strict discipline, however each Way has its own type of discipline. While monks tend in general to be more lawful than chaotic, certain paths to enlightenment, such as the Way of Beasts and the Way of the Wind, embrace that selfsame chaos.

A monk’s training is his spiritual path. He is inner-directed and capable of a private, mystic connection to the spiritual world, so he needs neither clerics nor gods. Certain gods, however, may appeal to monks, who may meditate on those gods’ likenesses and attempt to emulate their deeds. Commonly these are gods of valor, war, retribution, and the like.

All monk training occurs in Kazuyuki, at least to begin with. Once a student shows promise, he or she might be then sent to a master near or far to continue training, or might simply stay in the school and learn from the teachers there. Life in monk training is so focused and usually begins so early that by the time a monk sets off on his own, he feels little connection to his former life.

A monk may feel a deep connection to his master or the school, to the Way of Ascendency into which he was trained, or to all of these. Some monks, however, have no sense of connection other than to their own path of personal development.

Monks recognize each other as a select group set apart from the rest of the populace. They may feel kinship, but they also love to compete with each other to see whose ascendency is strongest.

Dwarven society’s rigid structures and laws lend themselves well to the life of a monk, and those dwarves that find a life of crafting and trading unpalatable often seek out training as monks. Surprisingly humans have taken an extreme interest in the monk’s disciplines, and many have taken up this profession. Elven culture perfectly suits them to life as monks, so many can be found in monasteries throughout the elven lands. Likewise many lamni are drawn to certain paths of enlightenment of the monk, particularly the Way of Beasts. The moriedhel have a small but successful monk tradition along the shadows path, especially among their women.

Gnomes are ill-suited to becoming monks physically and culturally. Likewise avarta and jendau rarely possess the physical endurance to withstand a monk’s rigorous training regime and do not often choose this path.

Savage humanoids do not have the stable social structure that allows monk training, but the occasional orphaned or abandoned child from some humanoid tribe winds up in a civilized monastery or is adopted by a wandering master.

Monks sometimes seem distant because they often have neither motivation nor skills in common with members of other classes. Monks do, however, work well with the support of others, and they usually prove themselves reliable companions.

Abilities: Wisdom is the most important ability for monks, as many of their abilities, benefits, and skills depend on high Wisdom scores. Being unarmored melee fighters, monks also benefit from strong Dexterity and Constitution scores to stay alive. High Strength scores help monks in dealing additional damage. Intelligence will give a monk additional skill points to spend.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Monks are proficient with the bastard sword (katana), club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. They are not proficient with any armor or shields.

Unarmed Strike

At 1st level, the monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes. Usually a monk's unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling. A monk's unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

Sixth Sense (Su)

The monk is in touch with herself and the multiverse, and has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated dangers and more. The monk adds her Wisdom modifier (if any) to her AC.

In addition, she can add her Wisdom modifier to any ability check, skill check, save, attack roll, or damage roll a number of times per day equal to half her monk level (round down). Sixth sense can be used only if a monk is wearing no armor and is not encumbered.

Ascendancy

At 2nd level the monk begins her journey into enlightenment. Enlightenment for some may be to reach the pinnacle of their chosen path, other may find enlightenment in adventuring down many paths. To this end she chooses any one path and gains the lowest step she does not yet have. In order to take any step, the monk must have all previous steps from the same path. For example, at 2nd level she takes the 1st step from the Beasts path. At 4th level, she may take the 2nd step from the Beasts path, or the 1st step from any other path. The available ways are: beasts, heart, might, revelations, shadows, and wind. In addition to the benefits granted by each way, the monk gains a +5 bonus to her land speed and a +1 bonus on damage rolls with unarmed strikes for every step of the ascendancy.

Way of Beasts

Beast monks find the animal world a fascinating place, and studying behaviors of various predators and their prey allows them to emulate those qualities to great effect. Beast monks believe that only by going to the beginning (becoming one with your less-evolved friends) one can see the end and thus ascend.

oWolf's Nose (Ex): At 1st step, a monk gains the scent ability.

oClawfingers (Su): At 2nd step, a monk can deal slashing or piercing damage with her unarmed strikes.

oOx Stampede (Ex): At 3rd step, a monk deals an extra 2d6 points of damage upon a successful charge.

oBear's Dance (Ex): At 4th step, when a monk makes an unarmed attack, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense to treat this attack as if she had the improved grab ability.

oPounce (Su): At 5th step, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action to gain the pounce ability for 1 round.

oRush (Ex): Once per minute, a 6th step beast monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to run (take double-move action or charge action) at a speed 4 times faster than she otherwise could, for one round.

oRend (Ex): At 7th step, if a monk deals damage to her enemy with at least 2 unarmed attacks during one full attack action, she can spend one use of Sixth Sense to instantly deal 2d6 + Str modifier points of damage.

oOctopus's Play (Ex): At 8th step, a monk can use her improved grab ability (either the one granted by Bear’s Dance or another source) with enemies the same size as her.

oRake (Ex): At 9th step, a monk gains the rake ability – she can make 2 extra unarmed attacks at her highest attack bonus to a foe she grapples.

oDragon's Coil (Ex): At 10th step, a monk can use her improved grab ability with enemies one size category larger than she is.

Way of Heart

A heart monks believe that every living creature has a pool of mystical energy called ki. The ki of all living beings is connected in some fashion and a monk in tune with her ki is much more powerful than any other. Only by mastering that energy can one achieve ascension.

oPower-Up (Su): At 1st step, a monk can spend standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity while standing firmly on both legs spread to accumulate ki in her body. While being powered up, a monk gains energy resistance 2 against all five types of energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic) per charge of ki energy. The monk can then use this energy with abilities gained further along this Way. The monk gains 1 charge of ki energy per step along the Way of Heart she has when she powers up. Unspent ki leaves monk's body after 1 minute. When the power-up ends, the monk must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + 1 for every previous power up she performed that day) or be exhausted. Exhausted monks cannot power up.

oBurst of Fury (Su): At 2nd step, a monk can spend one charge of ki energy from her power-up to move all creatures on her square and adjacent squares away from her as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Every creature in the area must make a Strength check (DC 10 + half monk level + Wisdom modifier) or suffer 1d4 points of sonic damage and move 5 ft. away from the monk. Any bonuses against trip or bull-rush attempts are also effective against burst of fury.

oKi Missile (Su): At 3rd step, a monk can spend one charge of ki energy from her power-up to send an energy missile at enemy as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The missile's range is 25 ft. + 5 ft. per 2 monk levels and it deals 1d6 points of either cold of fire damage per 2 monk levels (round down).

oInner Flames (Su): At 4th step, the monk gains a +1 morale bonus on unarmed attack rolls per charge of ki energy when she is powered up.

oChannel Fury (Su): At 5th step, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when dealing damage with an unarmed strike to deal extra 2d6 points of either cold or fire damage. She can perform this ability multiple times per round if she wishes, each time spending another Sixth Sense use.

oKi Explosion (Su): At 6th step, a monk can spend a charge of ki energy from her power-up and one use of Sixth Sense as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity to create a powerful explosion around herself. All creatures and objects within a 30 ft. range burst, centered on the monk, suffer 1d6 points of damage per monk level. Half the damage is fire and the other half is sonic. The explosion leaves a crater 5 ft. deep in the center and every creature in the area of effect is expelled as per burst of fury, to the extreme of range.

oDragon's Jump (Su): At 7th step, a monk can spend a charge of ki energy from her power-up to charge at an enemy within 100 ft. in a straight line, even if she could not normally get to the enemy because of the terrain (she can charge flying enemies, foes on the other side of a chasm, and so on.).

oBurning Heart (Su): At 8th step, the monk gains a +2 morale bonus on unarmed attack rolls per charge of ki energy when she is powered up. This replaces (does not stack with) the benefit from the Inner Flames ability.

oExcruciating Training (Su): At 9th step, a monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to power up as swift action.

oKi Mayhem (Su): When a 10th step monk makes a charge attack, she can spend a charge of ki energy from her power-up and 2 uses of Sixth Sense to deal extra 15d6 points of either cold or fire damage if the charge is successful.

Way of Might

Might monks are very straightforward in their psychology. They trust that might makes right, and the way to ascend is simply to be more powerful than the others. Might monks spend countless years honing their physical skills, preferring mountainous areas for their monasteries.

oStun (Ex): At 1st step, the monk gains the Stunning Fist feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. At any time the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to gain additional use of this feat.

oUnbreakable Skin (Ex): At 2nd step, whenever the monk takes lethal damage, an amount of that damage equal to his Str modifier is converted to nonlethal damage instead.

oPower Punch (Ex): At 3rd step, the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when making an unarmed attack to deal +4 points of damage with that attack. This ability can be used multiple times per round, but only once per attack roll.

oPowerful Blows (Ex): At 4th step, the monk uses 150% of his Strength bonus on damage with unarmed strikes as if wielding a weapon two-handed, instead of normal 100%.

oCombo (Ex): Whenever a 5th step monk deals damage with an unarmed strike, he immediately gains an extra unarmed attack that deals 5 less damage than the previous one if it hits. Combo cannot be used with attacks of opportunity. Extra attacks granted by combo can deal no damage if the result is low enough and they don't allow any extra effects (such as extra sneak attack damage, a vampire's level drain, and so on), though they can be critical hits. Attacks granted by this ability cannot trigger further combo attacks.

oUnstoppable Blows (Su): At 6th step, the monk's unarmed attacks ignore a number of points of deflection and shield bonus to AC (in any combination) equal to his Strength modifier.

oSmash (Ex): At 7th step, the monk gains the benefits of the Improved Sunder feat when making unarmed strikes.

oPulverizing Punch (Su): At 8th step, whenever the monk uses his Power Punch ability, the affected attack also ignores an amount of damage reduction and hardness equal to monk's Strength modifier.

oWalk through Inferno (Su): At 9th step, whenever the monk takes damage, he may spend any number of Sixth Sense uses. For each one spend, the monk ignores 10 points of damage.

oMuscle Burst (Ex): At 10th step, the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a move action to gain a +8 bonus to Strength for 1 minute.

Way of Revelations

Revelation monks are the most mystical ones. They believe that rash actions will get one nowhere and contemplation upon one's past mistakes is the true way to become the perfect being. Revelation monks are least interested in combat, but are bestowed with amazing senses and wit.

oInsightful Meditation (Ex): At 2nd step, the monk can meditate for 10 minutes to gain insight. At any one time during the next 24 hours, the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense to gain a +4 insight bonus on any Intelligence or Wisdom check, or any skill check based on those abilities. Once this ability is used, the monk can meditate for another 10 minutes to be able to use it again.

oSteadfast Meditation (Ex): At 3rd step, an exhausted monk can meditate for 10 minutes to become fatigued, and a fatigued monk can do the same not to be fatigued anymore. In addition, if he meditates for 10 minutes while neither fatigued nor exhausted, the monk does not need to eat or drink until the next day.

oArcane Senses (Ex): At 4th step, the monk can hear in areas of magical silence, although with a -10 penalty. He can also see all invisible creatures and objects as blurred.

oComposure (Ex): At 5th step, whenever the monk becomes dominated by effects like the dominate person spell, he can spend one use of Sixth Sense to be charmed instead, and if he becomes frightened or panicked, he can spend a use to be shaken instead.

oEmpowering Meditation (Su): At 6th step, the monk can meditate for 10 minutes to heal 1 point of ability damage from each damaged ability.

oEyes at the Back (Su): At 7th step, the monk cannot be flanked. Whenever he would be caught in a surprise round, he's not flat-footed but he still can't act in that round.

oMind over Body (Ex): Whenever an 8th step monk is forced to make a Fortitude saving throw to reduce or negate hit point damage, he may make Concentration skill check instead.

oTongue of the Sun and Moon (Ex): At 9th step, the monk can speak with any intelligent creature that has a language.

oBlindsight (Ex): At 10th step, the monk gains blindsight with a range of 30 ft. This ability is not based on hearing.

Way of Shadows

Shadow monks believe that one must remove oneself from earthly matters and distractions to achieve balance within oneself. They practice the arts of stealth, supernatural movement, and disappearance. Shadow monks can be effective assassins, scouts, or messengers.

oDarkvision (Ex): At 2nd step, the monk gains darkvision with a range of 60 ft. If he already has darkvision, he gains low-light vision instead. If he already has both, his darkvision improves by 30 ft. or double the existing range, whichever is less.

oCloak of Darkness (Su): At 3rd step, by spending 1 use of Sixth Sense as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity a monk can become invisible, as per spell. The duration of this ability is one hour, but it ends as soon as the monk is not in area of at least moderate shadow.

oShroud of Night (Ex): At 5th step, the monk gains 20% concealment as long as he is in an area of at least moderate shadow.

oAbundant Step (Su): At 6th step, by spending 2 uses of Sixth Sense a monk can slip magically between spaces, as if using the dimension door spell. His caster level for this effect is ½ his monk level (rounded down). Both entry and exit points must be in areas of at least moderate shadow.

oHide in Plain Sight (Su): While a 7th step monk is in any sort of shadow (but not his own shadow), he can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

oShadow Strike (Su): At 8th step, the monk can make parts of his body into shadow matter, effectively phasing his way through enemies. The Shadow monk can make any unarmed attack as a touch attack. Shadow Strike attacks suffer a -4 penalty to damage rolls (minimum damage 0).

oBlanket of Night (Ex): At 9th step, the monk's concealment in shadows increases to 40%.

oEmpty Body (Su): At 10th step, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a move action, the monk assumes an ethereal state for 3 rounds, as though using the etherealness spell. His entry point must be in area of at least moderate shadow.

Way of Winds

Wind monks believe that the secrets of ascension are not locked into any creature or object, but rather scattered in the air of the world around them. Wind monks emulate natural elements of weather to become something more than an ordinary mortal.

oWind in the Face (Ex): At 1st step, creatures charging at the monk do not add bonuses to attack or damage from the charge. They suffer double the normal penalty to AC against the monk only.

oDancing Breeze (Ex): At 2nd step, the monk adds ¼ his monk level as a dodge bonus to AC.

oFugitive Step (Ex): At 3rd step, the monk can move on walls or other vertical surfaces, as long as he begins and ends his move action on a horizontal surface that he could normally stand on. For example: a monk cannot end his move "standing" upside-down on the ceiling, even though it is technically a horizontal surface. If he fails to end his move on an appropriate horizontal surface, he falls. Moving from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface and vice versa costs an extra 5 feet of movement. This extra cost does not prohibit running or charging unless the surface already qualifies as difficult or obstructed terrain.

oRevitalizing Rain (Su): At 4th step, the monk can heal his own wounds as a swift action. He can heal a number of hit points of damage equal to twice his current monk level each day, and he can spread this healing out among several uses.

oAirblast Strike (Su): Whenever a 5th step monk makes an unarmed attack, he can spend one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action. The attack has an additional effect regardless of whether it hits or not - the victim must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ monk level + Wis modifier) or be moved 5 ft. per point of the monk's Wisdom modifier away from him and must make a Dexterity check (DC 10 + monk's Wisdom modifier, armor check penalty applies) or fall prone in its new square.

oLeap of the Clouds (Ex): At 6th step, the monk gains a +5 competence bonus on all Balance, Climb, Jump and Tumble checks and can take 10 on those skills checks, even if circumstances would normally prevent him from doing so.

oLeaf on the Wind (Ex): At 7th step, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a swift action, the monk is under effects identical to the haste spell for 3 rounds.

oTornado Hands (Ex): At 8th step, the monk can spend one use of Sixth Sense when taking a full attack action to gain two extra attacks with his highest attack bonus.

oCyclone Punch (Su): At 9th step, the monk can drag his opponents into their strikes with the force of the wind. His reach with unarmed attacks increases by +5 ft.

oEmbodiment of Wind (Su): At 10th step, by spending one use of Sixth Sense as a move action, the monk assumes a gaseous form per the spell for 3 rounds. The monk's speed in this form is equal to his land speed, but he still can't run.

Stay on Path

The road toward ascension is riddled with perils and temptations, and so a monk must learn to overcome those difficulties if he ever hopes to achieve perfection. At 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk learns a protective ability from the list below.

•Adaptation (Ex): The monk reduces all environmental penalties to attack and damage rolls, checks, and saves by 1 for every step of ascendancy he has achieved. He also gains damage reduction 1 for every step of ascendancy he has achieved against ongoing damage. This includes damage from sources such as crossing a frozen tundra without winter gear, but not damage from directed attacks like a dragon's breath weapon.

•Belly of Stone (Ex): The monk is trained to ignore pain when his guts are damaged and his muscles can close most wounds easily. He gains damage reduction 1 for every step of ascendancy he has achieved against precision damage from critical hits, sneak attacks, and the like.

•Breath of the Forest (Ex): The monk is resistant to magic that attacks his life force. He gains a +1 inherent bonus for every step of ascendancy he has achieved on saving throws against effects that damage ability scores, impose or drain negative levels, or cause fatigue or exhaustion. Once the monk reaches 10th step ascendency he loses this benefit and instead becomes immune to ability damage and drain, and negative levels and level drain, from sources whose hit dice are equal to or less than the monk’s class level + his Wisdom modifier.

•Burning Heart (Ex): The monk gains a +1 inherent bonus for every step of ascendancy he has achieved on saving throws against fear, charm, and compulsion effects. Once the monk reaches 10th step ascendency he loses this benefit and instead becomes immune to these effects from sources whose hit dice are equal to or less than the monk’s class level + his Wisdom modifier.

•Evasion (Ex): The monk can evade deadly magical attacks with outstanding agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

•Iron Skin (Ex): The monk's skin doesn't bruise easily. He gains damage reduction 5 for every step of ascendancy he achieved against attacks that deal nonlethal damage. (He still takes nonlethal damage from other sources, such as heat.)

•Purity of Body (Ex): The monk gains a +1 inherent bonus for every step of ascendancy he has achieved on saving throws against disease and poison. Once he reaches 10th step ascendency he loses this benefit and instead becomes immune to poisons and diseases with save DCs equal to or less than his monk level + his Wisdom modifier.

•Slow Fall (Ex): When falling close (within the reach of the monk's arms or legs) to a vertical surface, the monk can slow his descent. When using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 10 feet shorter than it actually is for every step of ascendancy he has achieved.

•Student of Elements (Ex): The monk gains a +1 inherent bonus for every step of ascendancy he has achieved on saving throws against blinding attacks, deafening attacks, nausea, paralysis, and stunning. Once the monk reaches 10th step ascendency he loses this benefit and instead becomes immune to these effects from sources whose hit dice are equal to or less than the monk’s class level + his Wisdom modifier.

•Wisdom (Ex): The monk's mind is not easy to fool with deceptive spells. He gains a +1 inherent bonus for every step of ascendancy he has achieved on saving throws against divination and illusion effects. Once the monk reaches 10th step ascendency he loses this benefit and instead becomes immune to these effects from sources whose hit dice are equal to or less than the monk’s class level + his Wisdom modifier.

Bonus Feat

At 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and 17th levels), the monk gains a bonus feat from the Spirit category.

Timeless Body (Ex)

A 17th level monk no longer takes penalties to his ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that he has already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the monk still dies of old age when his time is up.

Enlightenment

At 20th level the monk becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider with the native subtype rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the monk’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows him to ignore the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a nonmagical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if he were a member of his previous creature type.